Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], October 9 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday chaired a meeting with senior officers of the World Bank to review the Himachal Pradesh Resilient Action for Development and Disaster Recovery (HP-READY) project, which is scheduled to be rolled out in January 2026.

Additional Chief Secretary of Revenue, KK Pant, Special Secretary, DC Rana, World Bank team leader for the project, Anoop Karanth, and specialists in disaster management, Vijay and Sheena Arora, were present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the state's Chief Minister stated that Himachal Pradesh has been increasingly experiencing the adverse effects of climate change. Hence, it has resulted in significant loss of human life and damage to critical infrastructure. According to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, these frequent natural disasters have compelled the State Government to divert substantial resources toward restoring the damaged infrastructure.

The state government is launching a significant disaster recovery initiative in strategic collaboration with the World Bank and has identified several priority projects. The total cost of this initiative is Rs. 2,687 crore. The Chief Minister emphasised that this mission is essential not only for compensating losses incurred from disasters between 2023 and 2025, but also for strengthening and rebuilding the state's infrastructure to withstand future calamities.

The Chief Minister also stated that the HP-READY project aims to enhance early warning systems, restore disaster-damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings, and undertake the channelisation of rivulets. Additonally, it will also focus on developing resilient public services, promoting livelihood opportunities through initiatives like 'Green Panchayats', and strengthening risk-informed social safety and insurance mechanisms.

Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of building infrastructure that supports farmers and horticulturists, ensuring their livelihoods remain secure even during disasters. The Himachal Chief Minister stated that under this project, controlled atmosphere (CA) stores would be established at 10 locations across the state to help farmers preserve their produce and prevent financial losses during adverse conditions.

Earlier, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu reviewed the ongoing construction work of utility ducts being built along a 7 km stretch from Chotta Shimla to Willies Park for Rs 145 crore. During the meeting, he stated that the construction work on the duct from Chotta Shimla to Oak Over is almost complete and should be finished within the next 15 days. (ANI)